Valeant Pharmaceuticals International has agreed to acquire OraPharma, a Horsham, Penn.-based specialty oral health company that develops and commercializes products that improve and maintain oral health, from Water Street Healthcare Partners, a private equity firm focused exclusively on the health care industry. 

Total consideration is approximately $312 million and up to $114 million in potential contingent payments based on certain milestones, including revenue targets. Valeant will aquire OraPharma's lead product, Arestin — a locally administered antibiotic for the treatment of periodontitis that utilizes an advanced controlled-release delivery system and is indicated for use in conjunction with scaling and root planing for the treatment of adult periodontitis.

"We believe that this market segment has similar characteristics to the dermatology, podiatry and ophthalmology markets and should offer us the opportunity to cross-sell some of our current products, most notably our new topical prescription cold sore medication, Xerese," said J. Michael Pearson, chairman and CEO. “We believe the OraPharma business is a new growth platform from which to build additional opportunities in the future."

OraPharma currently has the largest specialized pharmaceutical sales force in the dental industry and, as of March 31, 2012, OraPharma's trailing 12-month net revenue was approximately $95 million with the business growing at a high single digit rate.

The transaction is expected to close in June 2012, subject to the satisfaction of certain closing conditions, and is expected to be accretive in 2012.